Automatic exchanger for mail



F. E. KAMPMEYER, SR

AUTOMATIC EXCHANGER FOR MAIL Sept. 8, 1931.

Filed Jan. 20 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet Unwzrz'ar Fredarz'clr E. Mmpnw (r52 36M, W Y fifarzz ys warm:

Sept. 8, 1931. F. E. KAMPMEYER. SR 1,322,658

AUTOMATIC EXCHANGER FOR MAIL Filed Jan. 20 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2JIII/mfor I Frazier/bk E. K'dm vmz er 5;: M21255 2) 16m, 9 fi Jiiorzggy:

Fatented. Sept. 1 931 UNITED -STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK :E..KAMPMEYEB, 83., OF SIBLEY; IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO MEINDERTTRICK, F SIBLEY,- IOWA nuroma'srrc nxor mnenn i on. gran.

' Application filed January 20, 1930.- Serial No. 422,084,

The object of this invention is to provide an automaticexchanger formail which is simple, durable, and comparatively inexpensive tomanufacture. j

A further object of my invention is to provide an automatic exchangerfor mail and the a like, consisting of a stationary mail support and amovable mail support, the movable mail support being mounted on avehicle such as a 1o tram, bus, or airplane, and having means to supportmail to be'delivered, and means for picking up mail from the stationarymail sup- Withthse and other objects in view my,

invention consists .in the construction, arrangement and combination ofthe various parts of my device,.whereby the objects contempl'ated areattained, as hereinafter more 1 fully set. forth, pointed out in myclaims,and 0 illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:;: IFigure 1 is a side elevation of my automatic exchanger for mailillustrating the movable mail support on an airplane. and showing themeans for accurately guidingthe plane when exchanging mail. Q

Figure 2 isa sectional view, on the line2-2 of Figure 1,.illustratingthe movable mail support in plan elevation. Figure 3 is a sectional viewon the line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the movable mail support picking upand delivering mail. 3

Figure 4 is a sectional view somewhat similar to Figure 3 showing themovable mail support in side elevation and also a portion of thestationary'mail support, and illustrating .the

two coactingwith'each other for picking up and delivering mail.

Figure 5 is a sectional v1ew on the l1ne55 of Figurel.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the stationmy mail support.

Figure 7 is a detailed sectional view on the line 77 of Figure 6.

FigureS is a perspective view of a modified form of mail exchanger.

Figure 9 is a=front end elevation of the exchanger mounted on adirigible; and

Figure 10 is a side elevation of Figure 9. On the accompanying drawingsI have used the reference character A to indlcate generally an airplane.The airplane A carries the movable mail support B while the stationarymail support is indicated at C. For accurately guiding the airplane A apair of posts 10, one surmounted with an eye member 12 and the otherwith a spot light 1%1- can be located at some distance ahead of thestationary mail support C. On the airplane A an eye mem- 'ber 16 isprovided through whichthe pilot of the plane can sight for aligning thespot light 1 1 through the eye member 12, whereupon he lmows that hisplaneis in proper position for the movable mail support to coact withthe stationary mail support for the exchange of mail.

'The movable mail support B cons ists of achute 18 adapted to containone or more mail bags 20. The chute 18 is pivotally mounted on a, shaft22 secured to the airplane A so that swinging movement thereof ispossible. The chnte 18 may assume a landing position adjacent theairplane A as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4-sor an extendedposition" for exchanging'mail as shown in full-lines in this figure andin Figures 1 and 3 For swinging the chute 18 a suitable means may beprovided such as a worm gear sector 24 and a worm 26. The sector 22 issecured to the chute 18-, while the worm 26 is secured toe. crank shaft28 A handle 30 is mounted on the shaft 28. The shaft 28 is supported'in-bearings 32 and is provided the position shown in Figure 4.- to theposition shown inFigure 3 upon receiving mail from .the stationary mailsupport 0.

A tra door 38 is provided for the bottom of the c ute 18 and is normallyheld closed 5 by links 40 connected with an inverted-U shaped rod 42.The rod 42 isslidably mounted 1n bearings 44 mounted on the sides of thechute 18, and the cross bar thereof is normally ada ted to rest on acatch 46. The s ring 48 hol the catch 46'in'coaction with e cross bar ofthe rod 42.

Mail pick up means consisting of a carriage 50 is provided for themovable mail support B; The carriage 50 slidabl co-- acts with a guideplate 52, as best s own in Figure 5 of the drawings. The carriage 50 isprovided witha pick up hook 54 and is 56. One end normally supported byarope of the rope 56 is connected with the catch reception trough 62. Asshown in Figure 6, the arms 64 mayeassume a supine dotted position ormay raised to an upri ht position for coaction with an eye mem r.

68. Mail bags to be picked up by the airplane A' are'tied; or otherwisesecured to the eye member 68 and an desired number of them can beattached t reto. member 68 isprovided with a pair of hook elements 72seated in notches 74 in the upper. ends of the arms 64. The hooks 72 arecounterweighted by counterweights 76. The resiliency of the arms 64normally causes them to assume an upright position as illustrated indotted lines in Figure 6, while the hook elements/72 of the eye member68 pull thetxird inwardly to the line position illus- Practicalopew Inthe operation of my device, the chute 1s normally assumes the dottedline'position shown in Figure 4 to which position it may be moved bymanipulating the 'crank 30. hen it is desired to exchange mail relativeto the stationary mail support (1, mail bags 20 to be m the c tacle 62are dropped into the c ute 18 which is of'suficient capacity to dro holdseveral mail bags 20. The tra door 38, of course, is first closed andhook in closed a position with the latch member 64.

68 support G aligns his airplane with the The mail bags 70 to be pickedup are secured to the e e member 68 and the eye mem ber sup 7 rte on theresilient arms 64. The pilot w en approaching the stationary mail 46 andextends over pulleys 58 and has its mail support consists of a The eyelatch plate 46a. A suppo pivotally mounted on the latch plate 46a andthe pick up hook 54 will enter the. eye 68. Upon the pick up hook 54entering the eye, the eye will be received on the hook member asshown-in Figure 3. The shock of receiving theeye member 68 and the mailbags thereon is absorbed by the spring 36, which is shown sight members12 and 14 so asto insure that in compressed position in Figure 3.Apivoted gate 78 (normally urged outwardly by a spring 79) swingsinwardly to allow the eye member 68 to engage on the hook 54 and thenswings outwardly again to prevent accidental bouncing of the e e memberfrom the hook.

The weight 0 the eye member and mail bags 70 will cause the carriage 50to lower against the action of the spring 48 which releases the latch 46from the cross bar of the rod 42 and allows the trap door 38 to open anddrop themail bags 20 into the receptacle C.

As soon as this has occurred,- the pilot of the airplane can steerupward or sidewise to miss the posts 10.

As soon as the e e member 68 has been transferred to the p1ck up hook54, the arms 64 will swing outwardly and downwardly out of the-way. Itwill be noted that the hook 0 member 54 is shaped like an arrow head sothat if there is a slight variation between the path of the hook memberand the, center of the eye 68, the hook member can still pick up theeye'member. In the event of missing the eye member 68 with the pick uphook 54 or by hitting itwit-h a guard 80 formed on the lower end of theguide plate 52, the eye member,will-be knocked from the arms 64 and canthen be replaced for the airplane to return and make another attempt toexchange mail;

In Figure 8 I have shown a modified form of construction consisting of abracket 82 supporting a pick up hook54a and a pivoted rting hook 38a isnormally rests in a loop member 84, in which position it supports themail bag 20a to be de- 'vered., Upon a mail bag being picked up on thehook 54a, the latch plate 460 swings to the dotted line position andallows the bag 20a to drop ofi thehook 38a. This type of device'- isespecially adapted for attachment to the sides of trains and bums.Channel tracks could be provided for abus to insure proper alignment of-'he pick up hook 54a with an eye similar to the eye 68 or with the ropeof the mail bag which could be supported in a suitably extendedposition.

In Figures 9 and 10 I have illustrated a modified form of mail exchangerfor dirigibles 86. A swinging arm 88 is provided to which the mailsupport B is hingedly con nected. In'Figure 9 the arm 88 is swun to aside extending position so that the mai support B does not extenddownwardly from the cabin of the dirigible. In Figure 10 the arm 88 hasbeen swung to position parallel with th'e dirigible andv mail support Braised to 1m In connection with trains or busses a trap door could beprovided in the bottonnof such vehicles 'for the discharge of mailtherefrom,

such trap door beingpperated on the same principle as the one show n inFigures 3 and 4.

My device can be used for any number of mail bags and is not limited tothe exchange of mail but can also be used for parcels.-'

For theprotection of operators within the airplane A it is desirable toprovide a railing 90 around an opening 92 in the bottom of the airplanethrough which'the chute 18 extends. When the chute is moved to thedotted line position shown in Figure 4, a door '94 may be closed overthe opening 92.

Some changesmay be made in the construc-' tion and arrangement oftheparts of my device without departing .irom the real spirit and purposeof my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modi-I and the like, a stationary mail support and 0 the llke, a stationarymall su fied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, whichmay be reasonably included within their scope;

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic exchanger for mail and the like, a stationary mailsupport and a" movable mail support, said movable mail support includinga chute and 'a mail pick up means provided with mechanism for releasingmail from said chute upon the pick up means receiving mail'from thestationary mail support. V g

'2. In an automatic exchanger for mail a movable mail support, saidmovable mail support including a receptacle, a trap door on the bottomthereof and a mail pick up means, said mail pick up means com rising apick up hook'and a release member or said trapdoor, said releasememberbeing actuated by said pick up hook upon receiving mail from thestationary support. a

3. In an automatic exchanger for mail and the like, a stationary mailsupport, a movable mail support adapted to be attached to a vehicle,said' movable mail support com rising a chute havinga trap door, a picup hook movably mounted relative to'said chute and an operativeconnection between said hook and said trap door for opening the trapdoor upon movement of the hookvcausedby receiving mail thereon from thestationary mail support. a

4. In an) automatic exchanger for mailand thelike, a stationary mailsupport,.a movable mail support adapted to be attached to a vehicle,said movable mail support com ris ing a chute having a trap door, a picup hook movably mounted'relative to'said chute and an operativeconnection between said hook and. said trap door for opening the trapdpor upon movement of the hook caused by receiving mail thereon from thestationary A the like, a stationary mail support, a movable mail supportadapted to be attachedto 'a: vehicle, said mova 1e mail supportcom'risprising a chute having a trap door, a pic up hook movably mountedrelative to said chute,

an operative connection between said hook and said trap door for openingthe tra door upon movement of. the hook caused y re ceiving mail thereonfrom the stationary mail support, said chute beingpivotallymountedrelative to said vehicle and resilientmeans to allow the chuteto-swingupon said'hook receivin mail from the stationary mail sup portan thus absorb the shock ofsuch re f ception.., I

Z 6. Inan automatic exchanger for mail and the like, a stationar"mailsupport, amov able mail support a apted to be attached'to avehicle, said movable'mai'l' support com-" prising a chute having a trapdoor,- a pickup' hook movably mounted'frelative to 'said chute, an orative'connection betweenfsaidhook and said trap door for opening thetrap door upon movement of the hookcaused receiving mail. thereon fromthe stationary ff mailv support, and means for movingjsaid pick up hookrelative to the chute to a osi tion convenient for removing the mail tere from. v

,7. In an automatic exchanger for mail and pport, a movable mail supportadapted to e attached to a vehicle, said movable mail support comprisinga chute having a trap door, a pick up hook movably mounted relative tosaid chute,

an operative connection between said hook and said trap doorfor openingthe trap door upon movement of the hook caused by receiving mailth'ereon from the stationary mail support, said chute being pivotallymounted relative .to said vehicle, and means for selectively swingingthe chute to a position adjacent the vehicle or to a position extendedtherefrom.

8. In an automatic exchanger for mail and the like, a stationary mailsupport, including a pair of arms capable of movement away from eachother, an eye member supported thereon which retains them in a predeter--mined osition, a movable mail support, said movabl mail support,including a mail pick up means adapted to coact with said eye 9. In anautomaticcxchanger for. mail and the like a stationa mail support,ineluding a pair of arms h inged at their lower ends and constrainedtoward pivotal movement away from each other, an eye member supported onsaid arms and retamin them in a predetermined osition, a movab e mailsupport, saidmova le mail support including a mail pick up means adaptedto coact with said eye member and :remove it'from said In arms, said e emember being rovided withv mechanism or releasing mall rom the mov ablemail support upon the pick up means coacting therewith;

10. In anautomatic exchanger for mail 1' and the like, a stationary mailsupport and v a movable mail support, said movable mail supportincluding a mail pick up means pro vided with mechanism for releasinmail from the movable mail support, sald stationary mail supportincluding a pair of resilient arms each pivotally supported at one end,an'eye member adapted to coact with said pick u means having meanscoactingwith the ee ends of said arms and 25 being supported thereby,the resiliency of said arms contributing to retain the eye mem-- berthereon and causing the arms to assume a supine-position upon the eyemember bein removed therefrom by the pick up means,

' w es Moines, Iowa, January 10, 1930.

FREDERICK ,E. :KAMPMEYER'SR,

